It’s nearly inevitable that a project requiring a metal building system will end up on the desk of an architect at some point in their life. Often, they are intimidated by the project because of their unfamiliarity. As Matt Stone, vice president of sales for Schulte Building Systems, Hockley, Texas, says, “Architects do not have curriculum related to metal buildings in their degree programs. Methods and materials are the closest subject.”
Metal building systems can fulfill a need and scratch a design itch
But metal building systems provide unique solutions for architects and they come with extensive advantages. The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA), a trade group representing the industry, recognizes that problem and has begun serious outreach to both architects and architect students. For example, at the beginning of August as this issue goes to print, the organization is hosting an architecture faculty workshop in Nashville, Tenn., with the goal of presenting “engaging ideas for integrating metal building studies into college and university curriculum.”
On the other side of that coin are the students, and MBMA is running its second annual student design contest with cash prizes. This year, the students are asked to design a municipal fire station.
Breaking the barrier to familiarity begins, though, with understanding at the basic level how metal building systems can meet the needs of architects.
Advantages
Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA, founder and design principal for Culver City, Calif.-based SPF:architects (SPF:a), succinctly lists the advantages of metal buildings systems: “lightness: flexibility and cost effectiveness; long-span, column-free spaces; speed of erection; and efficiency of the structure.” Those advantages seem to belie a common misunderstanding of metal building systems: that they are off-the-shelf solutions. In other words, the architect needs to design a one-story brew pub and puts in an order to a manufacturer who digs into its inventory and delivers the brew pub—with options of course.
“People think of pre-engineered buildings like everything’s sitting on a shelf,” says David Dowell, AIA, partner at el dorado Inc., Kansas City, Mo. “You have a budget and it’s like you’re going shopping for a building. No, it’s all custom made for each project.”
Once you accept and understand that metal buildings are custom solutions, they can be, as Jay Kocon, director of group sales and talent for Nucor Buildings Group, Waterloo, Ind., says, “Ideal for anything from the simplest of structures to the most complex of designs. Metal buildings aren’t relegated to simple boxes anymore—they are versatile systems capable of the additions of stone, glass and architectural elements that make them suitable for high-end retail and office spaces. They are completely customizable to meet the requirements of any market. Because of these reasons, in recent years, architects have embraced metal buildings and they are more widely accepted.”
There is no ideal situation for a metal building because they are so versatile, but they serve extremely well for “buildings with large open space requirements,” says Pali. “Probably in the 30,000-squarefoot plus range. They can clearly be used for gyms, aquatic center, meeting halls. I also believe they could be used for performing arts projects.” In fact, the Metal Building Contractors and Erectors Association’s (MBCEA) building of the year in 2022 was a performing arts center, the Arbogast Performing Arts Center in Troy, Ohio.
Evolution
Our understanding of the versatility of metal building systems has evolved over the last 10 years as metal building systems have become more customized solutions. “As the construction industry has grown more sophisticated,” says Kocon, “so have preengineered metal buildings. Metal building manufacturers have evolved to meet industry demands by adopting advanced tools, practices and products. Because of their capability to supply building solutions for all markets, from retail to warehouse, to distribution and manufacturing, the market for metal buildings has never been better. Overall size of metal buildings has increased because of advancements in engineering. The ability to have large clear spans has allowed metal buildings to expand into markets such as recreation and aviation, where structures must not be inhibited by interior columns. Engineering tools, aesthetic enhancements, products and design advancements have all contributed to a more complex and modern metal building industry.”
Greg Papay, FAIA, partner at Lake|Flato Architects Inc., San Antonio, says, “I’ve always admired that over the decades, manufacturers and engineers have refined metal building systems to a point where they’re economical, efficient and often truly beautiful. They really just capture all the different aspects of what a building should be.”
Design Sense
It is that design sense that has also evolved with metal buildings. More often than not, metal buildings that win awards in our contests are chosen by the jury because they express themselves as metal buildings. They don’t hide what they are. Mark Roddy, FAIA, Mark Roddy Architects, Sacramento, Calif., discusses this point in his column, “Design Excellence and Metal Building-ness” on page 24.
As metal buildings have become more sophisticated in their design, they have ironically become more like metal buildings. When asked, “What do you consider when trying to transform a metal building system from a simple solution to an expression of a design concept?” Pali replies, “I consider its essence—what it is trying to do or be—and work with that. I try to express its lightness and to be honest and authentic with it. I try to express its simple beauty. I try to look for a new of expressing it—nothing radical—but certainly pushing its envelope. I look for ways to customize it without creating too much complexity.”
Dowell grounds that idea in a very direct statement. “There’s an alliance between a simple program and a simple building system,” he says. “If you’re going to use these systems, you have to conform to what it is that they offer. In a way, I think for a lot architects, the stronger and the more inescapable the constraint, sometimes the better design.”
Resources
The Metal Building Manufacturers Association provides a wealth of resources for architects who both have extensive expertise in working with metal building systems and are new to the game.
Videos
Over 50 videos highlighting metal building architecture, engineering, design and application can be accessed at www.youtube.com/mbmamedia. MBMA recommends you begin your educational process with the following programs:
- How It’s Made: Metal Building Innovations are Revolutionizing Low-Rise Commercial Construction
- How It’s Built: Metal Building Construction Raises the Bar for Low- Rise Commercial Structures
- Introduction to Metal Building Systems
- Metal Building Systems 101
Technical Manuals and Guidebooks
Download previews and full documents or order print versions at www.techstreet.com/mbma.
- 2018 Metal Building Systems Manual
- Metal Roofing Systems Design Manual–Second Edition
- Fire Resistance Design Guide for Metal Building Systems
- Energy Design Guide for Metal Building Systems–Second Edition
- Seismic Design Guide for Metal Building Systems
- Guide for Inspecting Metal Building Systems, Second Printing
- Creative Building Solutions with Pre-painted Metal Panels
- Specifying a Metal Building System
- Life Cost Assessment/Sustainability of Metal Buildings
- Creative Metal Building Design Alternatives
Continuing Education for AIA Credits
MBMA’s CEU/LU courses are extremely popular with AIA members and others in the architectural community. Each program is now available through Architectural Record’s Continuing Education Center: www.architecturalrecord.com/topics/2141-architectcontinuing-education
- Creative Building Solutions with Pre-painted Metal Panels
- Specifying a Metal Building System
- Life Cost Assessment/Sustainability of Metal Buildings
- Creative Metal Building Design Alternatives